Published: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 3:07 a.m.

BARTOW | A hearing took place behind closed doors Thursday and likely challenged the findings of a grand jury inquiry into the Lakeland Police Department.

A police communications employee and the department's lawyer were among those seen entering the hearing room. No information was available on what challenges might have been made to the grand jury's report, known as a presentment.

Chief Judge William Bruce Smith denied a request by The Ledger to open the hearing and agreed to note the request on the record of the proceeding. He also has previously denied requests to release any documents related to the grand jury or its presentment.

Last month, a grand jury issued this report, which so far has remained sealed.

Witnesses who went before the grand jury have been silenced by an oath not to discuss their testimonies. They include five reporters and an editor for The Ledger.

Sources who did not testify before the grand jury but do not wish to be identified have verified that the grand jury was investigating LPD.

The grand jury began its inquiry after The Ledger published an article in January that described Police Chief Lisa Womack telling a reporter that her agency sometimes played a "cat-and-mouse" game with the media when it didn't want to release records.

The newspaper's publisher, Jerome Ferson, has confirmed that journalists did testify before a grand jury in a "very unusual step" to protect the public's right to infor­mation.

No criminal charges were filed as a result of the investigation, but a report of facts uncovered by the grand jury was issued Feb. 14.

The report was to have been released earlier this month unless objections were made by someone about its contents being unlawful, unfair, defamatory or scurrilous.

The 10th Judicial Circuit's chief judge, Smith, is the person responsible for hearing such objections and deciding whether the entire report or portions of it should be redacted.

Under Florida law, these challenges are given the same secrecy as grand jury proceedings.

The State Attorney's Office and chief judge have refused to provide copies of the presentment and any documents relating to it to The Ledger.

In the morning, Roger Mallory, LPD's lawyer, and William Sheaffer, an Orlando lawyer, went into the room along with State Attorney Jerry Hill and two assistant state attorneys, Victoria Avalon and Brian Haas. A stenographer was present to record a verbatim account of the hearing.

They spent about an hour inside before recessing.

In the afternoon, the prosecutors and stenographer returned to the hearing room along with Ann Dinges and two Tampa lawyers, Gary Trombley and Matt Luka.

Dinges previously served as a public information officer for LPD. She recently switched to a new job position, the department's first public safety communication specialist.

They spent nearly two hours inside before re­cessing.

It is unknown when the judge will rule or whether his decision might be appealed to a higher court for further review.

<p>BARTOW | A hearing took place behind closed doors Thursday and likely challenged the findings of a grand jury inquiry into the Lakeland Police Department.</p><p>A police communications employee and the department's lawyer were among those seen entering the hearing room. No information was available on what challenges might have been made to the grand jury's report, known as a presentment.</p><p>Chief Judge William Bruce Smith denied a request by The Ledger to open the hearing and agreed to note the request on the record of the proceeding. He also has previously denied requests to release any documents related to the grand jury or its presentment.</p><p>Last month, a grand jury issued this report, which so far has remained sealed. </p><p>Witnesses who went before the grand jury have been silenced by an oath not to discuss their testimonies. They include five reporters and an editor for The Ledger. </p><p>Sources who did not testify before the grand jury but do not wish to be identified have verified that the grand jury was investigating LPD.</p><p>The grand jury began its inquiry after The Ledger published an article in January that described Police Chief Lisa Womack telling a reporter that her agency sometimes played a "cat-and-mouse" game with the media when it didn't want to release records.</p><p>The newspaper's publisher, Jerome Ferson, has confirmed that journalists did testify before a grand jury in a "very unusual step" to protect the public's right to infor­mation.</p><p>No criminal charges were filed as a result of the investigation, but a report of facts uncovered by the grand jury was issued Feb. 14.</p><p>The report was to have been released earlier this month unless objections were made by someone about its contents being unlawful, unfair, defamatory or scurrilous.</p><p>The 10th Judicial Circuit's chief judge, Smith, is the person responsible for hearing such objections and deciding whether the entire report or portions of it should be redacted.</p><p>Under Florida law, these challenges are given the same secrecy as grand jury proceedings. </p><p>The State Attorney's Office and chief judge have refused to provide copies of the presentment and any documents relating to it to The Ledger.</p><p>In the morning, Roger Mallory, LPD's lawyer, and William Sheaffer, an Orlando lawyer, went into the room along with State Attorney Jerry Hill and two assistant state attorneys, Victoria Avalon and Brian Haas. A stenographer was present to record a verbatim account of the hearing.</p><p>They spent about an hour inside before recessing.</p><p>In the afternoon, the prosecutors and stenographer returned to the hearing room along with Ann Dinges and two Tampa lawyers, Gary Trombley and Matt Luka.</p><p>Dinges previously served as a public information officer for LPD. She recently switched to a new job position, the department's first public safety communication specialist.</p><p>They spent nearly two hours inside before re­cessing.</p><p>It is unknown when the judge will rule or whether his decision might be appealed to a higher court for further review.</p><p>[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com. ]</p>